Method of making a dry pet food having a marbled meat-like texture

Abstract

A method for producing a dry pet food resembling marbled meat in appearance and having a moisture content of less than 15 percent by weight is obtained by utilizing two doughs having a reduced amount of amylaceous ingredients within the pet food as well as using specific types of proteinaceous adhesives in conjunction with plasticizing agents. The two doughs are cooked, extruded together and dried to reduce the moisture content of the product to less than 15 percent by weight.

Having fully disclosed and described the invention, we claim: 
     
       1. A method for the production of a dry pet food having a moisture content of less than 15 percent by weight and a soft, elastic, marbled, meat-like texture and appearance comprising the steps of forming a first dough containing a first coloring agent and a second dough containing a second coloring agent, each dough comprising a fat, a proteinaceous adhesive, and a plasticizing agent; and sufficient amount of water to produce a product having less than 15 percent by weight moisture and an additional amount of process water; wherein said proteinaceous adhesive is present in an amount of from about 4 to about 60 percent by weight of the dough and said plasticizing agent is present in an amount of from about 2 to about 40 percent by weight of the dough; separately cooking said first and second doughs at a temperature between 160° and 300° F.; combining the first dough with said second dough such that the final product contains from about 70-90 percent by weight of said first dough and from about 10-30 percent by weight of said second dough; and drying the final product sufficiently to reduce the moisture content of the final product to less than 15 percent by weight of the final product. 
     
     
       2. A method according to claim 1 wherein said proteinaceous adhesive is an alkali modified protein. 
     
     
       3. A method according to claim 1 wherein said proteinaceous adhesive is an alkali modified oil seed vegetable protein. 
     
     
       4. A method according to claim 3 wherein said modified oil seed vegetable protein is selected from the group consisting of an alkali modified soy protein isolate, alkali modified soy flour, alkali modified wheat gluten, and mixtures thereof. 
     
     
       5. A method according to claim 1 wherein said proteinaceous adhesive is selected from the group consisting of sodium caseinate, calcium caseinate, potassium caseinate, ammonium caseinate, magnesium caseinate, albumen, and collagen. 
     
     
       6. A method according to claim 1 wherein said plasticizing agent is selected from the group consisting of glycerol, sorbitol, 1,3-butanediol, mannitol, propylene glycol, and mixtures thereof. 
     
     
       7. A method according to claim 6 wherein said propylene glycol is present in an amount greater than 2 percent by weight but less than 15 percent by weight of each dough within the final product. 
     
     
       8. A method according to claim 1 wherein said plasticizing agent comprises an agent selected from the group consisting of corn molasses, corn syrup, and sugar syrup. 
     
     
       9. A method according to claim 1 further including the limitation that when said process water is used in an amount the equivalent of from about 5-15 parts per hundred parts by weight of said first dough or of said second dough or of both said first dough and said second dough, that dough is cooked at a temperature of from about 220° to about 270° F. 
     
     
       10. A method according to claim 1 further including the limitation that when said process water is used in an amount of less than the equivalent of 5 parts per hundred parts by weight of said first dough or of said second dough or of both said first dough and said second dough, that dough is cooked at a temperature of from about 270° to about 300° F. 
     
     
       11. A method according to claim 1 further including the limitation that when said process water is used in an amount greater than the equivalent of 15 parts per hundred parts by weight of said first dough or of said second dough, or of both said first dough is cooked at a temperature of from about 160° to about 220° F. 
     
     
       12. A method for the production of a dry pet food having a moisture content of less than 15 percent by weight and a marbled meat-like appearance and texture comprising the steps of: forming a first dough containing a first coloring agent and a second dough containing a second coloring agent, each dough comprising a fat, a proteinaceous adhesive, a plasticizing agent, and sufficient water to produce a product having less than 15 percent by weight moisture and an additional amount of process water; wherein said proteinaceous adhesive is present in an amount of from about 4 to about 60 percent by weight of the dough; said plasticizing agent is present in an amount of from about 2 to about 40 percent by weight of the dough; and heating said first dough in a first extruder barrel at a temperature between 160° and 300° F. for a time sufficient to cook said ingredients; heating said second dough in a second extruder at a temperature between 160° and 300° F. for a time sufficient to cook said ingredients; combining the cooked dough formed from the first dough and the cooked dough formed from the second dough by extruding said first dough and second dough combined through a die to form a product containing from about 70 to 90 percent by weight of a first dough and from about 10 to about 30 percent by weight of a second dough; discharging the combined dough formed from the first and second dough onto a moving conveyor; cooling and subdividing the combined dough to form pieces of dry pet food; and drying the combined dough sufficiently to reduce moisture content of the combined dough to less than 15 percent by weight of the combined dough.